Dancing in the Rain
by Blue September Rain
Summary: Relena stood up straight when she heard something. She brushed it off as being a figment of her imagination, and went back to watching the two men. She heard it again, only louder. It was almost like a cracking noise.
1. Extremely Short Prologue

Dancing in the Rain 

The maid brushed out the Princess's long, golden hair. She braided it, then circled it around her head. She laced ribbon into the gold locks, then picked up the fragile diamond crown from the table and placed it carefully on the Princess's head.

The Princess then rose from the bench and waited for the maid to get her dress. The maid helped her into the beautiful blue satin dress and tied the ribbons and smoothed out the wrinkles. The maid rested the sheer blue shawl on her shoulders and the Princess wrapped it around her arms elegantly.

Next was the matching slippers. The maid slipped them gingerly onto the Princess's feet. After tying them, the Princess turned from the maid and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She smiled. Everything was perfect, as it should be. Today was the day she was to be presented to one of the Princes that her parents had chosen for her to marry. She had heard rumors about the prince, that he was very handsome, though he didn't smile often.

_I'll make him smile,_ the Princess thought to herself, grinning at her reflection.

"Are you ready, your highness?" The maid asked. The princess nodded, and the maid led her from her room and down the richly decorated hall. She went through a doorway and came to the top of a large staircase.

Her eyes looked across at the people. There were many important lords and ladies there, along with counts and countesses, and neighboring kings and queens with their children. Then she saw her parents, sitting on a raised platform. With them stood King Remington and Queen Lucille of Kent. Although her parents were good friends with them, she had not yet met the young Prince.

As the Princess stepped up to the top stair, the room hushed. Her father, King Garret of Sussex, stood up from his chair. At the same time, a door opened and a young man walked into the room. He was tall and slender, with dark hair covering his face and beautiful Prussian blue eyes. He stepped up onto the platform and stood beside the Princess's father. The Princess nearly fainted at the sight of him. He was extremely handsome.

"Please allow me, good ladies and gentlemen," her father began. "To introduce to you, and to young Prince Heero of Kent, to my daughter, Princess Dorothy."

-- -- -- --

I'm proud of my awesomely short prologue. You don't need much more information than this to begin the story.

And I know I probably have the whole British governing system wrong. I'm sort of taking it from this book I'm reading called Queen of Camelot, in which there is the High King, then the smaller kingdoms within England. But since I didn't feel like looking up/making up kingdoms, I'm using the places like Sussex and Kent for my story.

It will be an AU. Obviously.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the extremely short prologue.

-Blue September Rain-


	2. Chapter 1: The Face in the Shadows

Dancing in the Rain 

**Chapter 1: The Face in the Shadows**

"Relena! Relena!" A female voice shouted through the thin wooden door. Relena looked up from the book sitting in her lap. She rose and opened the door to find her grandmother standing on the other side, her hands on her hips. "I need you to go fetch your cousins from the fields. They've been playing all day. It's time for them to do a little work around here."

"Yes, Grandmother." Relena said. Her grandmother smiled, and her face softened. She was a tough businesswoman, selling baked goods along with the clothes and blankets that Relena and her cousin Hildi would sew and weave. The two of them had a gift for stitching. Her Grandmother usually looked fierce and mean, but deep down, she was really a kind hearted old woman.

Relena Darlian lived in a medium sized home with her grandmother, her aunt and uncle, and her three cousins. Her parents were killed in the raids several years ago in Hampshire, so she was brought to Sussex to live with her Grandmother. Her brother, Millardo, disappeared just before the raids began and no one had heard from him since.

The 18 year old girl left the house and wandered through the streets of the, what most might call, city, that she lived in. It was close to the castle of the King and Queen, so there was always new people coming and going, which brought in good business for Relena and her family.

After walking for a while, she reached the gates of the city. She walked out and turned in the direction of the regular place where she and her cousins would play. The place that they called their own was right beside the castle wall, surrounded by trees and blueberry bushes. Relena soon heard their shouts, and she knew they would be close by.

When she arrived, she found a very interesting sight. Her oldest cousin, Hildi, who matched Relena in age, was standing right beside the wall of the castle. Her short dark hair was tousled and falling into her face. On her shoulders was the middle cousin, Myra, the 11-year-old middle child of the family. Her long hair was braided, but several strands have come loose and gave her a very disheveled appearance. Finally, on her shoulders, was the youngest, little Marshal, who was 6. Between the three of htem , they nearly reached the top of the castle wall, which wasn't as tall as one might have thought it would be.

"What's going on?" Relena asked. The three cousins turned their heads towards her, and grinned.

"Silly Myra threw the ball over the wall of the castle. We're trying to get it." Little Marshal said. Relena laughed.

"Hush Marshal!" Myra shouted at him. Marshal stuck his tongue out at her, but that caused him to lose his balance. The tower swayed, and soon, they came toppling down on top of one another.

Groans and complaints could be heard coming from the pile of siblings. Relena just watched them with an amused expression on her face. Hildi was the first to get up off the ground and she joined her cousin by her side.

"I suppose grandmamma sent you to fetch us?" She asked. Relena nodded.

"We can't leave without the ball!" Marshal protested.

"I'll get it for you." Relena said. He looked at her hopefully. "I know a secret way into the castle gardens." She said. This was no lie. She really did know a way in.

Hope was restored in Marshal, and the three of them followed Relena through some trees. There, the wall was a little shorter, as it had been sinking into the ground. It was poorly set up in that spot. "I'll just climb over and get the ball, alright?" Her cousins nodded. Relena kicked off her leather boots and began to scale the side of the castle wall.

-- -- -- --

"And when I turned 16, my mother gave me this beautiful dress made entirely out of silk. The color matched my eyes perfectly. She also gave me matching earrings and a matching necklace to go along with it. It was so beautiful. I wore it to my birthday ball, and I was asked to dance by no less than 30 men! Isn't that just wonderful? Then when I turned 17 I-"

Prince Heero didn't know how much more he could take. Apparently the rigid state of his body wasn't getting the hint across to Princess Dorothy that he really didn't want to be there. But she was there, with her arm linked through his, talking endlessly about every gift she ever received from her parents or from _possible suitors_. Heero wished with all his heart that she would chose one of them, so he wouldn't be forced to go into this marriage that his parents so wanted him to do.

"Are you listening?" Dorothy asked suddenly. Heero snapped back to reality and nodded.

"Yes." He said. And she was off again, talking about her gifts and clothes and other things that Heero couldn't really give a damn about.

As they walked, Heero heard something out of the ordinary. It was a rustling noise. He narrowed his eyes and looked around. Could it be an assassin? The rustling stopped. He continued to look around.

Then something caught his eye. A flash of gold. He turned his attention quickly to a tree nearby. He looked up, and saw something in the tree. It was no animal, but rather a human. A girl. She was young, and she was holding a ball in her arms. Her long golden hair fell over her shoulders and into her face. She was giving him a strange look. She knew he saw her.

But as quickly as he saw her, she was gone, with only the slight rustle of the trees as she moved through the leaves.

_Who was that?_ Heero asked himself, staring at the spot in the tree where she had been sitting. He was suddenly very curious about this mysterious girl in the tree with the golden hair.

"Heero!" Dorothy cried suddenly, pulling him from his thoughts once again.

"Yes Dorothy?" he asked, his voice full of irritation.

"I said that I'm a bit warm being out here in the hot sun. I suggested we move back inside and get a cool drink." She said. Heero nodded, took one last look at the tree, then followed Princess Dorothy back to the castle.

-- -- -- --

Hehe. :-D

Thanks to my reviewers! I hope you are still enjoying the story.

-Blue September Rain-


	3. Chapter 2: A Suitor

Dancing in the Rain 

**Chapter 2: A Suitor**

Relena trailed behind the other as they walked back to the city. She was thinking about the man she had seen while she was over the castle walls. He was very handsome, but he was obviously some sort of prince, since he was walking with Princess Dorothy. She sighed a little. Then she shook her head.

_Why am I thinking about marriage and courting?_ She asked herself, annoyed. She wasn't planning on ever marrying, only to help her cousin run the family business. Besides, whoever that man was, was a prince, and she was only a commoner. It would never work out. Princes don't marry commoners.

-- -- -- --

Relena was busy at work with her cousins when they heard voices in the main room. Interested, the four of them crept to the door and opened it a little to hear what was going on.

"Mr. and Mrs. Shebecker, I would like to ask you something." It was a young man's voice, that was obvious, but he was out of sight from the crack in the door.

"Who is that?" Hildi whispered to Relena. She shrugged.

"I don't know." She whispered back.

"What would you like to ask?" Hildi's mother asked, her hands moving to rest on her hips.

"Well, I've been admiring your daughter for a while now, and I wanted to ask your permission to begin to court her." The voice said.

Relena looked to Hildi and saw her mouth fall open.

"What was your name again?" Hildi's father said in his slow speech.

"Duo Maxwell, sir." The voice replied. Relena furrowed her brow. That name seemed familiar. She looked to Hildi for any response, but her face had not changed since Relena looked at her last.

"Let me think about it, Duo Maxwell." The slow speech said. "I will let you know soon." They heard a muffled 'farewell' and the door open… then close. Hildi nearly fainted, and she fell against the door, throwing it open, revealing the four eavesdroppers. Clayton and Dawn Shebecker stared at their children and niece, their eyebrows raised.

"Well, well, well, what have we got here?" Dawn asked. The four grinned sheepishly. Hildi threw herself to her feet and flung herself at her parents.

"Oh mama! Papa! Let me court him! I've never had a suitor before! Please let me!" She cried, clinging to her father's shirt. Her father looked down, his lips curling into half a smile. It was true that Hildi had never had a suitor before, and Clayton knew that he would need someone to take over the family business soon.

"I will think about it, my sweet." He said. Hildi threw her arms around his neck and hugged him.

"Thank you papa!" She turned to her mother and did the same. Then she retreated back into the workroom, pulling Relena behind her. Relena looked back at her aunt and uncle and they smiled at her.

-- -- -- --

Heero leaned back in the chair next to the window. The book he had been reading was now forgotten, and his mind had wandered to other places. He had only seen the mysterious girl in the tree for a moment, but the image was etched into Heero's mind, and it would not fade.

A knocking on the door interrupted his thoughts. He lifted his head. "Come in." He said. The door opened and a page entered.

"Sorry to bother you, Prince Heero, but the Princess wishes to see you in her chambers." The page said. Heero sighed and rose. He set his book aside and followed the page down the hall to Dorothy's chambers. The page knocked on the door, and it was opened by one of Dorothy's maids.

"Come in, Prince Heero." The maid said. Once he was inside, the maid left and closed the door. Heero raised an eyebrow. The Princess wasn't usually supposed to be left alone without a maid or chaperone. He looked around the room. Dorothy was sitting in a wingback chair, nestled among her many skirts.

She stood up and smiled at Heero. It wasn't a quiet, sweet smile, but a rather seductive smile. Heero felt very uncomfortable. She floated towards him, her hips swaying more than they should. Heero backed up as much as he could, but he soon dumped into the door.

"Dorothy, what are you doing?" He asked. A look of confusion passed over her face for a moment, but disappeared.

"Come now Heero. You know that you're attracted to me as much as I am you." She said, batting her eyelashes. Heero moved his hand behind him and searched for the doorknob. He felt the cool metal and turned it.

"No… Dorothy. I think I need to uh… I think I need to wait a little longer… to see…" He didn't finished his sentence before he was out the door, running down the hall.

-- -- -- --

This one was a little longer, right? Hehe. I don't want to give away too much too quickly.

Thank you all my reviewers. It's because of you that I'm still writing this story! I 3 you!

-Blue September Rain-


	4. Chapter 3: A Jovial Arrival

**Dancing in the Rain**

Chapter 3: A Jovial Arrival 

Heero awoke a few minutes before dawn. He had locked himself in his rooms for the rest of the day after the episode with Dorothy, and he realized that he had fallen asleep with his regular clothes on. Now they were wrinkled askew.

He rose and went to the antechamber to take a bath. Slipping into the warm water prepared by the servant assigned to his room felt refreshing. He could use a long soak after the ordeal he was _forced_ to endure the previous day.

His mind soon turned from Dorothy and her hips to the same thing that had been playing in his mind over and over again since he left the garden yesterday. The beautiful golden-haired girl, sitting there in the tree, giving him a quizzical look. Her sea blue eyes, staring at him from the shade.

A pleasant, almost wistful smiled crossed his lips as he sunk lower into the bathtub. He seemed on the verge of sleep when he heard shouts coming from the hall. Then many footsteps pounded by his door.

Heero climbed out of the tub, dried, and dressed as quickly as he could, curious as to what was causing so much commotion. He hurried down the hall and down the main staircase. People were standing everywhere. He spotted his mother and father, so he went to their sides.

"Good morning mother, father." He said, acknowledging them. They both looked at him with disapproving looks. "What?" he asked, confused. He then realized that they must have heard about how he ran from Dorothy. He sighed.

"We'll talk later." His mother said. Heero nodded. "But for now, apparently some very important guest is arriving. Very unexpected, I might add." Heero turned from her and looked towards the door. There was too many people to see anything.

Finally, the talking quieted. The doorman stepped forward. "Announcing… Lord Winner, Lady Veronica and their son, Quatre." The doorman belted out over the large throng of people.

_Quatre!_ Heero cried out in his head. Quatre and his family lived and ruled over a district of Kent, and he had been friends with Quatre since they were both born. Their birthdays are very close to one another.

The crowd parted slightly as they walked down the steps and into the entranceway of the castle. Quatre soon spotted Heero, and hurried to greet his friend. They shook hands and hugged slightly. "Good to see you again Heero! We heard that your family was here for some reason or another, so we thought we'd drop in to visit you and of course King Garret and Queen Lillian." Quatre said in his very diplomatic voice. Heero always knew that Quatre would be a good ruler by his cool head and peaceful ways.

"I'm so glad you came." Heero said. "I'd like to talk with you after you get settled in."

"Of course." Quatre said with a smile.

-- -- -- --

Relena could not focus on her work. Hildi noticed, and so did her aunt. Finally, they told her to go take the afternoon off, as she had been working hard the last few days. She consented and took a shawl and went to walk in the warm summer weather.

There was no way one could walk through the city without being bombarded with merchants asking you to buy their goods. However, after a few years of experience, Relena mastered the skill and was able to walk down the street without spending any money.

Relena hadn't been really thinking about where she was going until she smelled the familiar smell of blueberries and pine trees. She looked around, and realized she was in the play area that she and her cousins had claimed.

She looked around, then decided to take a risk. She wandered along the castle wall and soon found herself at the part of the wall that was sinking. She kicked off her boots and dropped her shawl on the ground beside them. She reached up and grabbed the stones. She hoisted herself up and climbed up the side of the wall. She reached the top and grabbed the branch of the tree she had been sitting in when she saw the mysterious prince. She pulled herself into the tree and traversed the branches. Soon she came to a small opening in the leaves. She peered out through the greenery, and spotted two men walking together, talking and laughing.

One was the man she had seen the day before. The other was a smaller man, with sandy blond hair and eyes that looked almost teal. He had a big, warm smile and he seemed very friendly. Relena leaned on a branch and watched the two. They seemed very friendly. They must have been friends before meeting here at the castle.

Relena stood up straight when she heard something. But then it went quiet. She brushed it off as being a figment of her imagination, and went back to watching the two men. She heard it again, only louder. It was almost like a cracking noise. She turned around, and saw the splinters on the branch she was standing on. She bit her lip. She grabbed another branch and was about to jump when the cracking got louder. Then one final crack, and down she went, crashing the whole five feet down to the ground below.

-- -- -- --

Haha! I bet you all hate me now! That's ok. Haha.

And just because I've gotten more than one review about this.. I know there is two ways people spell Hildi's name, and I've spelled it Hildi since I started writing GW stories.. when I was like… 11 (I'm 17 now) so yeah. I'm sorry if it bothers you. grins sheepishly

Well anyways, this is it for now. I might actually write the next chapter today as well… because I really want to. Haha.

Hearts.

- Blue September Rain -


	5. Chapter 4: Trees and Statues

Dancing in the Rain 

**Chapter 4: Trees and Statues**

Hildi was pacing the workroom, nervously wringing her hands. Her father had gone to talk with that boy Duo Maxwell from the day before, and give the answer on whether or not he will be able to court Hildi. Her father also wanted to meet his parents, to see if they were well off or not. Her mother had casually mentioned that he was an attractive young man, with strange purple eyes, although she disapproved of his rather long braid.

"Hildi… must you pace so? It's very distracting." Myra said from her spot on the floor where she was spinning wool into thread with a drop spindle. Hildi muttered an apology and sat down, but a few minutes later she rose and began to pace once more. Myra rolled her eyes and went to sit in another spot in the room.

_What if Papa says no? What if Duo doesn't like me? What if I don't like him? What if he thinks I'm not pretty? Surely he wouldn't think that, since he came to ask about me, and not Relena…_ Hildi thought to herself. She was secretly jealous of her cousin, whose long silky hair caught the attention of all the males who passed by. She knew that Relena had many secret admirers, but who were much too scared to come and say anything to her. What really bothered Hildi the most was that Relena never had any interest in any of these men, while Hildi lusted for any sort of attention. She knew her cousin was intent on never marrying and simply staying around to help with the business. This Hildi had no objection to, since Relena truly was a gifted weaver and seamstress. Hildi was good as well, but she had more of a mind for business than sitting around sewing all day. Relena could pass a day and think it was only a mere hour that went by.

I wonder where Relena went off to anyway… 

-- -- -- --

Dorothy parted the curtains once again and looked down at Prince Heero and young Lord Quatre wandering the garden. She should be out there on the arm of Heero, but she wasn't. She was in her room. Her plan she had tried on Heero didn't work. She told her parents about Heero's cowardice, and she hoped that they would in turn tell his parents about it. She was fairly certain they had told them, since they looked rather cross at him that morning.

She muttered something about irritating males, and moved away from the window. She decided to go to the kitchens and find something that could make her feel better. She closed the door behind her, just before they were a rather loud crash in the garden below.

-- -- -- --

"Your parents really want you to marry Dorothy?" Quatre asked, holding back laughter as best as he could. Heero nodded his head solemnly. "Why?" He blurted out, and he released a stream of laughter. Heero looked at his friend and raised an eyebrow.

"Stop laughing Quatre. You know this is no laughing matter. They hope that through our marriage, it will join Sussex and Kent. But the girl is most disagreeable. She spent a good hour and a half talking about herself yesterday, and what's more… about clothes." Heero said with a touch of irritation in his voice.

"Yes well. Most men do find that girl very annoying, for lack of a better word. And she has those queer eyebrows…"

At that, both of them laughed. AS they laughed, they passed by a tree. Heero looked at it and realized it was the tree that he had seen the mysterious golden-haired girl in. "Yesterday, while I was forced to endure Dorothy's incessant chatter, I saw a girl in that tree." Heero said. Quatre gave him a look. "What?"

"You saw a girl in a tree?" Quatre asked. "Dear friend, I believe Dorothy has driven you to madness."

"It's not madness, _dear_ friend. There really was a girl there. She was beautiful. She had this hair the color of-" He was cut off when they heard a scream from the tree. The was a cracking sound and a branch came crashing down on to the ground, and entangled in that branch was a young girl with golden hair.

"There she is now! The girl from yesterday!" Heero said suddenly. Quatre stared at him in disbelief, then turned back to the girl. She seemed to be taking no notice of them as she untangled herself from the branch and plucked leaves from her hair. Quatre and Heero approached her.

"What's this then? A spy?" Quatre asked, an amused smile on his face. Relena looked up at them, a deep red blush painting her cheeks.

"Terribly sorry to drop in on you like this.. I was uh…" She tried to explain, but seemed to be at a loss for words. Heero and Quatre looked at each other, then back at Relena.

"What's your name, Lady?" Heero asked in a very flat voice. He hadn't meant to do that. It slipped out.

"It's just Relena… Relena Darlian." She answered. "I work in the city at the Shebecker Bakery and Seamstress Shoppe." She told them.

"Ah. I believe I had been by there before. Never stopped in, however. Perhaps I should now that I know someone who works there." Quatre said, his facing looking a little more friendly than Heero's. "My name is Quatre Winner of Kent. My father is Lord Winner." He said. Relena nodded.

"I've heard of him." She said politely, and bowed to Quatre. There was a silence between the three of them. Quatre sighed.

"And this tree here, this is my friend, Prince Heero of Kent." Quatre said, gesturing to the handsome man she saw yesterday. His face was unmoving, like a statue, his mouth said in a grim line. "Normally he's not this unfriendly. He just doesn't like meeting new people."

"You don't have to talk about me like I'm not here." Heero said gruffly.

"The tree spoke!" Quatre cried out. Heero looked like he was going to give Quatre a piece of his "mind", but thought better of it, as there was a lady present.

"Well, it was a pleasure meeting you both, but I probably should get back to my home, as I'm trespassing on the castle grounds." Relena said with a curtsy.

"Oh please! Do feel free to fall out of the trees again soon. I will be here for a while, and I do believe that Heero will as well. Maybe we can get him to smile once or twice before we have to head home." Quatre said. "Come again tomorrow, the same time." He said. Relena was surprised that Lord Quatre invited her to climb back over the wall again the next day, but she smiled and accepted his offer. She bade them farewell, and they returned it, Quatre with a smile and Heero looked much like a statue. She climbed up the tree and dropped down on the other side.

-- -- -- --

Hahaha wow.

Go me. Two chapters in a day!

Once again.. Reviewers are awesome. I forgot to mention that in the last one.

- Blue September Rain -


	6. Chapter 5: Broken Glass

**Dancing in the Rain**

**Chapter 5: Broken Glass**

Relena made her way back home. The events that happened from the time the tree branch broke to the time she climbed over the wall again were running through her mind. Should she tell Hildi about it? She wasn't sure. Hildi might have a heart attack. _No,_ she thought. _I won't tell anyone. Tomorrow I'll just say I'm going shopping or something._

When she arrived home, she found Hildi pacing in front of the store. She stopped when she saw her cousin and walked towards her. "Oh Relena! Papa should have been back by now! I'm getting worried! What if he says no?" Hildi asked, wringing her hands. Relena hugged her cousin.

"Don't worry about it. Uncle Clay won't let you down." Relena said, trying to reassure her. Hildi still looked nervous. As if on cue, her uncle came strolling down the street. Hildi grabbed Relena's hand. Relena held back a laugh. Clayton approached the two girls.

"Papa!" Hildi cried. If she meant to continue talking, she lost her words, and just stared at her father. He grinned at her.

"Well, I visited the Maxwell residence. I was impressed, to say the least. Yes, Hildi, I have given young Mr. Duo permission to court you." He said. Hildi nearly screamed and she hugged her father, then turned and hugged her cousin. Then she went running inside to tell her mother and her grandmother. Clayton looked at Relena and smiled.

"You did a good thing, Uncle." Relena said. He nodded, and held his arm out to his niece. Relena took it and they went inside.

"Hildi's worked hard all her life, and she hasn't had much time for things like this. I think that's why it's been put off so long. Most girls your age are already married and baring children. I think Hildi deserves this." He stopped and faced her. "Are you sure, Relena, that you don't want me to find you a suitor?" He asked her, looking very serious. Relena nodded.

"I don't want to marry, Uncle. I'm happy enough just working for you, and soon Hildi." She said with a smile. She meant every word she said.

"Alright. But if you change your mind, please let me know, or we're going to run out of bachelors!" He laughed, took her arm once more, and they walked inside to join the very happy Hildi and the rest of the family.

-- -- -- --

Heero and Quatre were talking quietly to each other while the rest of the guests at the table were loud with alcohol.

"Do you really think it was a good idea to invite Relena back to the castle. She could get in trouble for trespassing." Heero said. As much as he wanted to see her again, he didn't want to see her get throw in a cell.

"I'm sure it's fine." Quatre said, picking at the food still left on his plate. Heero shrugged and leaned back in his chair. He looked up, and saw Dorothy staring at him from the other side of the table. Her cheeks were a little flush from the amount of alcohol she had consumed. Heero wasn't very attracted to heavy drinkers. That just added to the list of reasons why he didn't want to marry Dorothy.

As Heero's mind began to wander, he half noticed Dorothy get the attention of a servant. He leaned down to her, and she whispered something nested among a fit of giggles. The servant bowed to her, and walked around the table. He stopped beside Heero.

"Your highness, I have a message from Princess Dorothy." The servant said. Heero looked up at him.

"Let's hear it." He said. The servant leaned down and whispered in his ear,

"She says to come to her room after dinner. She said that you started something that she would very much like to finish." As he stood up, Heero glanced across the table at Dorothy, who was fluttering her eyelashes like a hummingbird's wings. Heero sighed.

"Thank.. you." He said to the servant. Heero avoided Dorothy's eyes for the rest of dinner.

-- -- -- --

Heero had no intention of going to Dorothy's rooms, but she caught him as they were walking out of the great dining hall, and she locked arms with him and led him up to her rooms. Heero was beginning to feel uncomfortable, and very annoyed. He didn't want to be around this girl anymore. He simply needed to demand to his parents that he not be forced to marry this completely annoying pest of a girl.

When they arrived at her rooms, she forced him inside and closed the door. She locked it. Heero's escape was now barred. She moved towards him, her hips swaying the way they had before, and she got closer to him. And closer. And closer. Heero was pressed against the door leaned out onto the balcony. He could feel the cool glass through his clothes. Dorothy got ever closer. Finally, she was right up against him, batting her eye lashes like a mad woman.

"Dorothy, I think you are a little too close to me." He said, trying to get her to back away. This only caused her to press closer. Heero narrowed his eyes when he heard something.

"Come on Heero. You know you can't resist me."

"Dorothy, stop this." He said, trying to push her away, but he was too distracted from the unusual noise coming from behind him. He finally figured out what it was.

The glass of the door broke, causing both Heero and Dorothy to fall through onto the balcony. Heero was unharmed, but Dorothy got a piece of glass in the hand. Naturally, she screamed as loud as she could, or rather, wailing would be the best word to describe the noise coming from her mouth. Heero dragged himself out from under her and ran out of the room, breaking the lock on the door. He ran into several servants, along with Queen Lillian on the way. She stared at him, looking like she was going to say something, but Heero just ran past her. He had to find his parents.

He soon found them lounging in their rooms. "Mother! Father!" He cried as he burst into the room. They turned to look at him.

"Why Heero. We were just thinking of calling you here to discuss your behavior with Princess Dorothy. You have been behaving very strangely of late…" Heero cut off his mother.

"I'm NOT marrying her, mother. I can't. I won't. There is no way in hell you're going to make me." He said, crossing his arms over his chest. They stared at him as if he had just cursed their name.

"Why ever not?" His mother demanded, rising from the couch she sat on.

"Because that girl is not normal. She talks about herself constantly, and she keeps trying to corner me. It's HER fault that the glass window in her door broke. It's HERS!" He cried. He knew a man of his age should not be carrying on like a little boy, but this was the last straw. Landing in a pile of glass can rapidly decrease one's mood.

"What!" His mother cried. She brushed past him and ran out of the room. His father stood up and walked to him.

"Heero, if you don't want to marry her, then don't. I won't make you, and my word is final. I've been watching her. I don't believe that marriage with her would create a good bond between Kent and Sussex. We will leave tomorrow." His father said. Heero was grateful for his father's wisdom.

"Thank you father, but do you think we could leave the day after tomorrow. I had plans with Quatre." Heero said, feeling a weight lifted off of his shoulders. His father simply nodded.

Heero nodded to his father, then left the room. He was free.

Or so he thought.

-- -- -- --

Hehe.

Remember this a comedy/romance story. Yeah, just keep that in mind. ; - )

- Blue September Rain –

Oh yes… thank you reviewers! You've been very encouraging!


	7. Chapter 6: Two More Visitors

Dancing in the Rain 

**Chapter 6:** **Two More Visitors**

Much to Heero's dismay, Dorothy was fine after the glass was pulled out of her hand. She did however, have to have a bandage on her hand for a while. This was very annoying to her, which made it all better for Heero.

So there he sat, staring at the giant picture of the castle on the wall, waiting for his parents and Dorothy's parents to come out of the library. They had been arguing for a few hours now about the marriage arrangements and such. Heero had his father on his side, but he was worried that he wouldn't be able to sway his mother. She was a very stubborn woman.

Heero stood and began to pace. He heard footsteps approach soon after, and to his delight, Quatre entered the room. "Good evening Heero. I heard that your parents were in counsel with Dorothy's." He said. Heero nodded. Quatre took a seat on the bench and leaned against the wall.

"You really think you'll be able to get out of marrying Dorothy?" He asked. Heero shrugged.

"I honestly don't know. I'm afraid that my father won't be able to sway all three of them. My mother is stubborn enough, but with the added stress from Queen Lillian… I just don't know." Heero said. At that moment, the door to the library opened, and Heero's father was standing in the doorway.

"Could you come in here, please?" He asked. Heero glanced at Quatre, who gave him a supportive look, then turned back to his father and went to his doom.

-- -- -- --

Relena was happy for Hildi when it was announced that she was to court Duo Maxwell, but now Relena didn't like the idea so much.

She sat in the sunlit workroom, sewing, and serving as babysitter for the two love birds. Her aunt and uncle had approached her that morning and asked if she would chaperone the two, and it wasn't appropriate for the two to be alone so soon. Relena sighed and agreed, hoping they would only be in each other's presence for a little while.

But they had been sitting in that corner for a few hours now, and Relena was getting more and more restless as the time neared with which she was supposed to return to the castle to meet Quatre and Heero.

She also found Hildi and Duo's talk boring and stale. Both were nervous, and they had been making small talk for about 3 hours now. Duo _was_ handsome enough. He truly did have strange purple eyes, and his hair was very long, and braided. But if Uncle approved, then Relena could not really say anything against him.

Finally, Relena knew she had to leave. She had pushed it long enough, and she needed to get out of the house. "Hildi." She said as she stood up. Hildi looked her way.

"I have someplace to be." She said bluntly. Hildi stared at her. Relena sighed. "Why don't we show him the blueberry grove?" Relena suggested. The implications went right over Hildi's head, but she agreed anyway. So the three of them left the house and went outside the city to the blueberry grove.

Once they were there, Relena slipped off into the trees. She knew that they would be fine together, and she thought they could use some time alone. How well can you really get to know someone when there is someone else sitting there, listening to your every word? Relena knew, however, that if she was caught, she would be in more trouble than could be thought possible.

She reached the wall and climbed over, jumping into the tree. When she peeked through the leaves, she saw Heero and Quatre sitting on a stone bench not too far away. Both looked very grim. Relena grabbed a low branch and slowly slipped down to the ground. When her feet touched, Quatre and Heero looked up. Quatre smiled and stood, crossing the pristine grass and took her hand. He kissed it.

"Welcome back, Miss Relena." He said. She smiled. "Come." He said, leading her by the arm to the stone bench. Heero looked up at her with a strange look in his eyes. Relena stared at him for a moment, before Quatre bade her to sit on the bench beside him, then sat down himself on the other side of her.

"Today would be much better if we had not received some terrible news last night." Quatre said. Relena looked at Quatre.

"What news?" She asked.

"You know that Princess Dorothy is yet unwed and not betrothed to anyone at present?" Quatre asked.

"Well, I do not keep up with the castle gossip, but I believe that is correct. Why?" She questioned.

"Well, Prince Heero was brought here to wed to Princess Dorothy." Relena looked over at Heero. His eyes were cast at the ground, hard and unblinking. "After certain incidents occurred, Heero thought he would be able to get out of marrying her. However, it was discovered last night that it was not accidental that Heero was brought here. When they were both born, their parents agreed that they be betrothed to each other, and when they both came of age, they would wed. They did not tell them, as they wanted them to get to know each other, and hopefully develop some bond before they were told about the agreement." Quatre said. Relena blinked. Heero was betrothed to Princess Dorothy. She winced. She had seen the Princess twice, and both times, the sight of her scared her witless. She was not an easy face to look at for to long.

"That's terrible." Relena said, turning to look at Heero. They both nodded. "I wish there was something I could do to help, but low, I am merely a common born weaver." A faint grin flashed across Heero's face, and disappeared just as quickly. Relena caught it, however, and something pulled at her heart. For a brief moment, they caught each other's eye, and held it.

To Heero, the world stopped spinning, and everything around him no longer mattered. He forgot about Dorothy, and he forgot that Quatre was sitting beside him. He forgot that Relena was a commoner, and he forgot that he was a prince. Color swirled around him as he gazed into the depths of her beautiful blue eyes.

Quatre raised a brow to the sight of the prince and the weaver who, as Quatre could tell, had seemed to fall in love. A grin played on his lips. Of course, it would be appropriate to leave, however, to leave two young lovers together alone was against the moral code of England.

Finally, a strange noise broke the gaze between Heero and Relena, and Quatre had to keep himself from laughing as both parties blushed a terrible shade of red. Relena stood and looked around. She had forgotten that she left Hildi and Duo alone in the blueberry grove.

"Uh oh…" She muttered to herself. To confirm her worst fears, down came Hildi and Duo, crashing through the branches of the tree to land in a heap on the ground within the castle grounds. "Oh no." She groaned.

"Miss Relena, who _are_ these lovely visitors? Do you know them?" Quatre asked, standing up from his place on the stone bench. Heero glanced quickly at Relena, and they both blushed a deeper red.

"Yes, your highness. That is my cousin, Hildi Shebecker, and Duo Maxwell. He's courting her." Hildi and Duo scrambled to their feet. Duo bowed low and Hildi dipped down in a deep curtsey.

"We're terribly sorry, your highness." Hildi stuttered. "You see, Relena disappeared, and we saw her shoes beside the tree, so we thought we'd try to find her. Those branches in the tree… they…." Quatre cut her off with a wave of his hand.

"The more the merrier! It's a great pleasure to make your acquaintance." He bowed. "My name is Quatre Winner." He motioned to Heero, who was still sitting on the stone bench. "This is Prince Heero Yuy." Duo and Hildi both nodded.

"Of course. It's such a pleasure." Hildi muttered, her heart racing.

"We're actually inside the castle grounds…" Duo said, looking up at the castle, admiring the designs all over the walls, and the beautiful stained glass windows. Of course, windows were a luxury. Commoners had no such thing.

"Yes, my good man." Quatre said with a grin. Relena was about to open her mouth to explain herself when they heard shouting. Panicked, the group looked around, searching for the source of the noise.

"Guards." Heero muttered. He stood. "You must get out of here. The guards are coming." He placed his hand on the small of Relena's back and pushed her gently towards the tree. Duo and Hildi followed suit, and soon the three of them were scrambling up into the tree.

"Halt!"

-- -- -- --

I noticed that this story seems to hold a little more popularity than my others, so I thought I'd continue. I can't leave my readers hanging on the edge of their seat now can I?

I don't own.

-Blue September Rain-


	8. Chapter 7: An Outrage!

**Dancing in the Rain**

**Chapter 7: An Outrage!**

Relena forced Hildi up the tree just before she heard the guards cross the garden to where their little party had been before. A strong hand circled her ankle and gave an alarmingly hard tug downward. Relena lost her grip on the tree branch and came crashing down, once again, out of the tree. She landed on her back, and she saw bright lights swirling in her vision. Her breath was cut short, and it was a moment before she caught her breath again.

"Excuse me, Captain, but why did you yank her out of the tree like that?" Heero asked, pulling himself up to his full height and throwing the commanding voice of a prince into his speech. The captain of the guards stared at him.

"Well she's a commoner, and they aren't allowed within the palace grounds without permission." He stated. _He paid attention in training._ Heero thought bitterly to himself. He watched as Quatre strode over to Relena and helped her into a sitting position.

"Did you stop to think that maybe she _does_ have permission to be within these walls?" Heero asked. The captain stared at him, somewhat dismayed.

"Well, your highness, does she?" He asked.

"Yes."

"That may well be, but I must question your authority within _these_ walls. You see, you do not actually rule these lands, nor hold any command over the people here."

"Ah, but I am a _guest_ of the King and Queen of Sussex, so therein lies my authority over the household staff of the castle." Heero crossed his arms over his chest. "That includes you, my good sir."

Off to the side, Quatre couldn't help but stifle a laugh.

"As far as I know, you do not hold the authority to override the resident King and Queen of _this_ castle, from whom I got my orders." The captain said at last, and Heero was stuck. He couldn't question the authority of his host and hostess. He swore inwardly.

"What are you going to do with her?" He asked. The captain grinned.

"Nothing to throw back at that one, Prince Heero? Well, she'll be going to the dungeons for trespassing on the grounds of the royal castle. Bind her hands." He barked at his guards, and they moved to Relena, pulled her up and bound her hands behind her back. Relena gave a sorrowful glance at Heero and Quatre. Heero tried to relay to her that he would fix this mess, but it was lost when the ruthless guards pulled her away.

-- -- -- --

Hildi and Duo raced through the city. They had managed to get away from the guards in the castle walls, but Relena had been pulled back. There was nothing they could do after she had been pulled out of the tree. The only thing she could think of to do was to get home and tell her parents what happened.

"Won't your parents be angry that Relena didn't stay with us?" Duo asked as they ran.

"They don't have to know that she left us. We won't tell them that." She said, her voice straining a bit against the effort of running for so long.

Finally, the pair reached the Shebecker Bakery and Seamstress Shoppe, and they burst through the front door. A few of the customers were startled, and stared as Hildi and Duo ran through to the door that led to the household. Hildi found her father lounging in a chair. "Father!" She cried. He snapped out of his thoughts and stared at his daughter and Duo.

"Hildi? What's going on?" He asked.

"Father!" She cried again, falling to her knees beside his chair.

"Where's Relena?" He asked, eyeing Duo with suspicion.

"That's it, father! The three of us went on a walk and we found a tree. So we climbed it. The branches however, couldn't hold our weight, and we fell through the branches, and landed in the gardens of the castle. Lord Quatre and Prince Heero were back there. They were nice enough, but then the guards came. Duo and I managed to get up the tree and over the wall, but the guards got Relena!" Hildi said, weaving a few white lies into the tale she told.

Clayton stared at his daughter, then his eyes shifted to Duo. He nodded to confirm Hildi's story. "She was taken by the guards?" He asked. Hildi nodded, her cheeks flushing from the effort of running from the palace. He sighed and leaned back into the chair. He closed his eyes and put his hand to his chin. Hildi rose, knowing he was deep in thought. Duo snaked an arm around her shoulders, and they waited.

-- -- -- --

Relena landed hard on the flagstone floor. It was wet and slimy with years of never seeing a bucket and mop, nor sunlight. She looked up to see the iron barred door slam closed, leaving her alone in the stone cell. She absently rubbed her wrists which had managed a bit of a rope burn. She never imaged being caught by the guards for doing anything, and she never imaged they would be so rough.

A few tears leaked out and fell down her cheeks. She suddenly heard laughter close to her. "What crime could a little girl like you commit to be thrown in the King's dungeons?" A raspy old voice asked. Relena looked around, and saw a man across the fall from her in a cell like her own.

"Who are you?" She asked, clutching the bodice of her dress close to her.

"My name is of no consequence to you." He said, pulling his crouched figure up to his feet. His arms and legs were pale and thin. His eyes were sunken into his cheeks.

"How did you get here?" He asked, turning his nearly black eyes on her face.

"I was 'trespassing.'" She said. The man looked at her quizzically.

"How could a little girl like you manage to trespass? Catching a look at the princess?" Relena wrinkled her nose without actually thinking about it. The man laughed again.

"Prince Heero is here visiting. I saw him once on accident, and I came back. I fell out of the tree, and Lord Quatre greeted me, and they invited me to join them anytime. I don't think they ever considered that the guards would be called."

"What a nice little tale, little girl. I think, though, you will be stuck down here for a while, like myself. I hope you don't miss the sun." The man shrank back into his corner of the cell, and he disappeared from view. Relena sat back against the moldy wall and pulled her knees to her chest. What would become of her?

-- -- -- --

Heero was getting used to having 4 pairs of eyes glaring at him for every little thing he did. He stood in the middle of the throne room, his mother and father, and of course, King Garret and Queen Lillian, staring him down.

"And what do you have to say for yourself?" His mother barked. Heero cringed at hearing his mother speak like that. Could she really be so angry with him, merely for talking with a commoner? It was then that Heero noticed a flash of gold. Dorothy stood in the corner, her arms crossed over her chest, a very sullen look on her face. Her blue eyes were staring at him as well. Heero took a deep breath. It was no or never.

"I have nothing to say for myself, mother." Heero said, daring himself to look into the eyes of his mother. The four adults before him looked taken aback.

"Nothing to say?" His father asked, stroking his beard. Heero nodded.

"It would be more appropriate if I asked _you_ if _you_ have anything to say for yourselves. You threw an innocent girl in the dungeons. She has done nothing wrong." Heero said. Mummers of annoyance erupted from his four judges.

"She was trespassing." Piped in Dorothy, a smug smile on her face.

"Quatre and I invited her to join us in the gardens." Heero said.

"Ah! A confession! He's taking a commoner as a _mistress_!" Dorothy cried suddenly.

"Shut up, Dorothy!" Heero cried, taking himself by surprise. Five pairs of eyes looked upon him in dismay, disgrace, alarm, and anger. King Garret rose.

"Guards!" The tromp of footsteps filled the room, and Heero was suddenly surrounded by guards. "Take Prince Heero to his rooms and lock him in there." He turned his eyes to Heero. "You are to remain there until it is decided what will be done with you."

Heero cast his pleading eyes on his parents, but his mother looked away in disgust, and his father simply had no expression on his face. He nearly fell forward when his arms were jerked behind him, and he was dragged away to his rooms.

-- -- -- --

Quatre pulled the cloak close about him and pulled up the dark hood. Heero was going to be in big trouble, and so was Relena. Even he himself could be thrown into his rooms. He had to get out and find Relena's family and tell them what has happened.

Slipping quietly through the servants passageways, he made his way out of the castle and into the bustling city of Sussex.

-- -- -- --

-Blue September Rain-


	9. Chapter 8: A Father's Plans

**Dancing in the Rain**

**Chapter 8: A Father's Plans**

The inner city of Sussex was an overwhelming place. Quatre looked all around, but he had no idea where to start looking for the place Relena had mentioned before. So he walked.

He walked in whatever direction the people chose to go. After about an hour of wandering, he decided he should ask someone. He pulled himself from the flow of people and walked up to a merchant's stand. There was an array of jewelry on the table. The merchant held out his hands.

"You like any of it?" He asked. Quatre held out a hand.

"Sorry, my good sir, but I am in search of a place." The man nodded his head. "The Shebecker Bakery and Seamstress Shoppe…" Quatre said.

"Ah yes. Good friends of mine. Go down that road, turn right, and it will be on your right a little way down the road." Quatre bowed his head and tossed a few gold coins on the stand for the man's help. The man was about to call after him to give back the money, but Quatre had already disappeared into the flow of people. The man shrugged and greedily shoved the gold coins into the purse at his belt.

Quatre followed the merchant's directions and soon found the quaint little building that had a painted sign above it: Shebeckers Bakery and Seamstress Shoppe. He threw back his hood and made his way inside. It smelled of freshly cooked pastries. There was an old woman behind the counter, separating coins. Another woman, a bit younger, was bustling about the shop, straightening arrangements and checking the pastries.

"Excuse me…" Quatre said. The two women jumped. They hadn't noticed him when he walked in.

"Welcome, sir!" The younger woman smiled and crossed the room. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Yes actually. My name is Lord Quatre Winner. I come from the castle with a message for the Shebecker family." The younger woman was taken by surprise and dipped a low curtsy.

"Master Quatre! What a pleasure that you grace this humble shop with your presence." The woman said. Quatre shook his head.

"I have news about Relena." The woman straightened. The older woman was looking on the scene from the counter.

"Ma-ma, I'm going to take him to the back. Will you mind the shop?" The older woman waved her hand.

"'Course my dear." The younger woman curtsied again.

"My name is Dawn Shebecker. I'm Relena's aunt." Quatre nodded. Dawn led him to the back and into the living space of the shop. Clayton Shebecker was sitting with his head in his hands in a chair, and Hildi was sitting on the floor with her two younger siblings. Duo was pacing on the other side of the room.

"Darling, Lord Quatre is here. He knows about Relena." Dawn announced to her husband. Clayton looked up, hope in his eyes. He saw the young blond man standing in his room, and he rose to bow.

"The formalities are not necessary. I have met your niece a few times. She's a wonderful girl, and I have reason to believe that Prince Heero Yuy has taking a fancy to her. However, that is not why I'm here of course." The family sat down in various chairs around the room. "She has been taken to the King's dungeons. I do not yet know what they plan to do to her. Prince Heero has been confined to his rooms. That is all the news I am able to bring you." Quatre said, ending with a curt bow of his head.

"How am I supposed to get my niece back?" Clayton asked, standing up. Quatre sighed and his shoulders slumped.

"I do not know yet how we can get her out. But I will do everything in my power to set her free. But I wanted to tell you where she is so you don't worry…" The glares from Dawn and Clayton forced him to add to his sentence. "… as much."

Dawn sank into a chair and covered her eyes with a hand. "I will bring you as much news as I can. I promise. You have my word." The family looked at him again. "I will be on my way. The longer I am away from the castle, the more I will be missed." Quatre bowed again, and Clayton murmured his thanks.

Quatre turned and was on his way out when Hildi jumped up to follow him. Duo followed as well. Hildi grabbed Quatre's arm. "Please, if there is anything I can do…"

"Or I…" Duo added.

"Yes, that we can do… please tell us. We'll do anything to help her out of the dungeons." Quatre smiled at the thin girl before him. He nodded.

"As you wish." He turned and in a flurry of his cloak, he was out the door and into the streets.

-- -- -- --

Heero sat on a chair, staring out the window at the very place where his lovely Relena had been taken by the guards. How could he have been so careless? How could he have let her be thrown into the dungeons? It was no place for a woman like her. Sighing, he contemplated all the courses of action he could take. He could try to break free of the castle, rescue her and run away, but he would never be welcomed back into his family again. Of course, after his little display in the throne room, he wondered if his mother would ever call him 'son' ever again.

Soon there was a knock on his door. He grunted a response. He heard the grinding noise of a key in the lock, and the heavy wooden door was pushed open. His father, tall and elegant, stepped into the room. He wore robes of crimson red. His bread was growing long, and he looked much older than the other kings that Heero had made the acquaintance of.

"Hello Heero." His father said, taking a seat on the edge of Heero's bed.

"Hn." His father sighed.

"I know you are angry, and I understand perfectly why." Heero looked up at him, and his father motioned him to join him on the bed. Heero stood and sat on the bed beside his father. "Your mother and I met because we were betrothed. Of course, back then, traveling wasn't as easy as it is now. The roads were dangerous and constantly ransacked by highway men. But now, traveling a distance is easier with the roads much better, and the patrols that protect the people.

When your mother and I first met, we didn't like each other. I was stubborn and she thought she was the center of the world. But over time, we managed to set aside those traits and we grew to love each other."

"Are you saying that I should give Dorothy a chance?" Heero asked, with a note of disgust in his voice. His father shook his head.

"Let me finish, my son. Things are changing. Arranging marriages is becoming increasingly frivolous. When it was suggested that you be betrothed to Princess Dorothy, I was against it, but your mother, Garret and Lillian were for it, so of course, the majority ruled out the minority." Heero raised an eyebrow, not sure where his father was going with this speech. "What I'm trying to say, Heero, is that I'm going to try to get to released from this commitment. I have known Dorothy since she was born, and I know that you two would never work out. You are a good man, and she's a terrible woman." Heero grinned. This was why he admired his father so much. He was logical and understood how mad Dorothy was.

"So what are we going to do? I can't let Relena stay in the dungeons!" Remington patted his son's knee.

"I'll find out what we can do. In the mean time, stay in here and relax." He said, and rose.

"Thank you, father." Heero said. Remington smiled upon his son, then left the room. Heero heard the lock click behind him, and he flopped back onto his mattress.

Perhaps everything would turn out alright in the end. Perhaps there was some way Relena could stay with him. Even now, locked away in his rooms, he could feel her presence all around him. He sighed and his eyes closed and he drifted off to sleep, his dreams filled with long blond hair and ocean blue eyes.

-- -- -- --

Dorothy made her way down the stone steps, a ring of keys dangling from her long fingers. The guard only needed a little bit of "persuasion" to give up his keys. Dorothy looked down and straightened her dress. She couldn't look like a common girl once she got to the dungeons.

She reached the large wooden door and she pushed it open. Someone had carelessly left it unlocked. That would not do. A soldier would be punished for that. An evil smile on her face, Dorothy strode down the damp hallway and stopped in front of one of the only occupied cells. She saw the common girl huddled in the corner, her gold hair falling over her face.

"You little wench!" Dorothy called. The girl looked up, and upon seeing who it was, tried to sink back into the corner more. Dorothy pushed a key into the lock and turned it. The grinding noise echoed off the walls. "I know that my betrothed seems to have taken a fancy to you, but I think we'll be able to change that." Dorothy pulled a dagger out from her dress and moved closer to Relena. Dorothy grabbed a fistful of Relena's hair and used the dagger to cut off her hair. Relena let out a scream when she saw her locks of hair fall to the floor. Dorothy grabbed another handful and cut again. Soon, Relena's hair was butchered. Dorothy grinned. She gave a final kick to Relena's side, then turned and left the cell.

"We'll see how much he loves you when he sees that you don't have your lovely hair anymore!" Dorothy spat at her, then whirled around and strode back down the hall. Relena stared in disbelief at the locks of her hair on the floor. She raked desperate fingers through her hair, hoping it was only a dream. But no! Her hair was less than shoulder length now, and it was uneven and choppy. Tears began to fall down her cheeks.

"Ah, don't you worry, little girl." The voice came from the other side of the dungeon. "If you're here long enough, it'll grow back." His voice changed to a cackle, and it echoed throughout the dungeon.

-- -- -- --

Uhhhh… hehe. Review please! Am I doing good? Doing bad? If you know me, then you know that everything end happy!

-Blue September Rain-


	10. Chapter 9: Quatre Finds Out

**Dancing in the Rain**

**Chapter 9: Quatre Finds Out**

"My dear, her eyebrows are terrifying!" Remington said, motioning to his forehead and making a fork shape with his fingers. Queen Lucille rolled her eyes.

"We cannot go back on our word, darling." She said, leaning back in her chair and continuing with her stitching. King Remington sighed.

"He does not love her."

"That doesn't matter."

"Doesn't it?" he asked. Remington made his way over to his wife and rested worn hands on her shoulders. He leaned down beside her ear. "Would we have lasted if we didn't love each other?" He asked. Lucille turned to look at her husband and king.

"No."

"Then we must help him. He's our son, Lucille." The queen gaze softened.

"If there was a way, I would change things. There is no way." Remington crossed the room to look out the window.

"I'm not going to give up so easily."

-- -- -- --

Dorothy sauntered up to Heero's door and gave a brisk knock. A grunt came from within his rooms, so she unlocked the door and entered. "Hello." She said. Heero looked up, saw it was Dorothy, and looked back down.

"What do you want?" He asked.

"I want an apology for what you said to me in the throne room." She said. Heero rolled his eyes.

"No." Dorothy sat down across from him.

"Listen to me, Heero. I have the power to have your little mistress executed at the snap of my fingers. If you don't comply, I will have her killed." She said. Heero looked up into her eyes. There was a wildness behind those blue irises that was not normal in any other human being. One might even say she was mad. Heero quirked an eyebrow.

"You wouldn't." He said. She grinned.

"Oh, I would. Those guards will do anything for me." She said, a twinkle in her eyes. Heero glared at her.

"Get out of my rooms."

"Fine. But don't be surprised if something happens to your precious doxy." She said. She crossed the room and slammed the door behind her and locked it. Heero stood and walked to the window. He pressed his forehead against the cool glass and stared down at the spot where he had been staring all day. _I hope father hurries. I don't know how much longer I can stay in here, and I don't know how much longer Relena can survive under the wrath of Dorothy…_

-- -- -- --

"Aye. There's a way down there from here. We have duties to feed the prisoners." The rather large cook said, waving a soup covered spoon around, nearly hitting Quatre several times during her questioning.

"Could you show me the way, good cook?" He asked. She shrugged.

"Why do ye wanna go down there?" She asked.

"The girl who was taken down there. I want to see her, but the guards would never let me go." The cook gave him a questioning look.

"There's another prisoner down there?" She asked. Quatre nodded slowly.

"No one… told you?" he asked. She shook her large head.

"Nay. I've heard nothin' about another person down there." She said. Quatre's heart began to pound.

"Please! I've got to see her!" The cook waved her spoon again.

"A'right! A'right! I'll take ye to the dungeon!" She said. She tossed her spoon on the table in the center of the room and led Quatre through a narrow door and down a flight of stairs.

And another flight. And another. And another.

Down and down they climbed. Quatre didn't know that the dungeon was this far down below the earth. _Poor Relena…_ he mused. Finally, they reached the end of the stairs and came upon a door. The cook pushed it open.

"No use givin' us servants _keys_." She said, responding to his look of confusion.

"Thank you very much, good cook." Quatre said, clasping her hands in his own. "And please, could you bring food down for her?" The cook nodded.

"I'll see what I can do." She said, and turned to climb back up the stairs.

Quatre walked through the doorway and into the long corridor. "Relena! Relena, are you here! Say something so I know where you are!"

Relena stopped ripping at her underskirts when she heard a sound. She finished ripping the cloth and tied it around her head, covering her mess of hair. She stood and went to the door of her cell. "Quatre! Is that you?" She called. She heard the sound of footsteps on the flagstones.

"Relena! Keep talking!"

"I'm here Quatre!" The footsteps got closer, and Relena could see when Quatre rounded the corner. He ran down the corridor and arrived at her cell.

"Oh Relena! I'm so sorry this happened to you!" he cried, taking her hands in his. She lowered her head.

"It's not your fault. I should have been quicker." Relena said. Quatre shook his head.

"No. There's something wrong with Princess Dorothy. There's something strange going on in her head." It was then that Quatre noticed something different about her. "Relena… what happened to your hair." Relena's face flushed and she pulled away the cloth from her underskirt. Quatre gasped at the brutal cutting of her hair. "Who did this to you?" He asked.

"Princess Dorothy."

-- -- -- --

Quatre had just left Relena and was on his way back up to find someone to let him into Heero's rooms. As he moved about the servant passageways, he heard noises. Curious to know who the noises were coming from, he changed his direction and followed the moans that bounced over the walls of the corridor. When he rounded a corner, he saw the most disturbing site he'd ever seen.

Up against the wall was Princess Dorothy. Her skirts were lifted, and there was a red-haired guard up against her. She was grasping his shoulders and moaning in pleasure. Quatre was completely horrified by this scandal. Feeling the bile in his stomach churn, he quickly turned and made his way back to where he was. He needed to get away from that as soon as he could.

Before he could get very far, he heard voices. "Now, you know that I need something in return for that." He heard Dorothy's voice say.

"Of course, Princess…" the voice of the soldier was low and husky.

"I want you to kill that girl in the dungeon." Quatre brought a hand to his mouth and gasped. "But make it subtle. Slip her some poison." Quatre's eyes were wide as he heard the guard agree to do whatever Dorothy asked.

The situation just got dire.

-- -- -- --

Wow it's been forever. Sorry guys. Life gets in the way sometimes. But with my first semester of college winding down, I'll probably be able to write more, especially over Christmas break!

-Blue September Rain-


	11. Chapter 10: Sir Zechs

_Summery: Prince Heero is caught in an arranged marriage with Princess Dorothy. While in the castle gardens, he sees Relena in the trees over the wall. She falls into the castle grounds, and befriends Prince Heero and Lord Quatre. Dorothy finds out about Relena, and she has her thrown into the dungeons. Through some "persuasion," Dorothy gets a soldier to make plans to poison Relena. In addition, Dorothy cut off Relena's hair. _

**Dancing in the Rain**

**Chapter 10: Sir Zechs**

Dusk. The sun was sinking low beyond the horizon. The two guards at the watch towers on either side of the city gates lazed in their chairs, swords laying across their laps. One of the guards opened his eyes when he thought he heard a noise off in the distance. A cloud of dust rose up from the road about a mile away, signaling the fast approach of horses. He called to his partner. They both squinted against the setting sun. Through the dust, a flag appeared. It bore the symbol of a dove that was holding a red rose in its beak.

The guards looked at each other from across the watch towers. _He _was coming.

-- -- -- --

Quatre stumbled out of the passageways to the dungeons and into the kitchens. The cooks stopped momentarily and looked at him, then returned to their work. He brushed his clothes off, then hurried out of the kitchens and up the stairs.

He threw open the door at the top of the stairs and stopped dead in his tracks. Dorothy was standing right near the door. Their eyes met.

_He knows._

_She knows. _

"Well _Lord_ Quatre, what might I ask were you doing in the kitchens?" Dorothy asked. Quatre squared his shoulders.

"I could ask you the same thing, _Princess_ Dorothy." They both glared at each other for a moment, then broke out into a run. They both forced their way through the opening leading to the main halls of the castle. Quatre had an advantage, as Dorothy had to wrestle with her skirts to keep from tripping over them. The two of them ran neck and neck to the throne room. They burst through the double doors to find…

…that it was empty. The two looked in disbelief. There was not a soul in the throne room.

"My Lady, and Lord…" A voice said from behind them. They both turned. A servant was standing in the hall, carrying a tray. "If you are looking for the Kings and Queens, they went to wait for the arrival of Sir Zechs." He said. Quatre and Dorothy looked at each other, then forced their way out of the throne room to get to the entrance of the castle.

The servant blinked. He shook his head, then continued to perform his duties.

-- -- -- --

Heero was pacing his room when he heard a knock on the door. He heard the lock click, and the heavy wooden door swung open. A servant stood in the doorway, holding a tray in one hand, and a large key in the other.

"Prince Heero, I have your dinner for you." The servant said. He seemed to be in a hurry. Heero nodded. The servant hastily put it down on a table, then rushed out of the room, and closed the door.

Heero waited.

There was no click of the lock. The servant forgot to lock the door. Heero's eyes widened. He walked over to the door and grasped the handle. He pulled. It moved. He pulled it open all the way. _I'm free._ He moved into the corridor and pulled the door closed behind him. _Relena…_

-- -- -- --

"Children! Come quick!" Hildi, Maya and Marshal looked up from their books, and hurried to obey their mother's command. They went through the shop and stood beside their mother.

"What is it?" Hildi asked. Dawn pointed. A large group of horses were walking down the street of the city.

"Sir Zechs has come to visit with the king and queen!" Dawn said. Hildi looked back in the direction of the horses. The foremost one was completely white. Sitting atop it, was a tall man, his chin high. He had long, platinum blond hair that fell down his back. He wore a mail shirt, leggings and boots. He was carrying his shield, with the dove and the red rose. Sir Zechs was the best, and by far the most popular knight, though Hildi had never seen him this close before. As he passed by, she looked up at him. There was something strangely familiar about his profile. She squinted. Relena's face flashed through her mind. That was it! He looked like Relena.

"Ma-ma, Relena had a brother, didn't she?" Hildi asked, still watching him. Dawn nodded.

"His name was Millardo. He disappeared after the raids. No one knows what happened to him." She said, though her voice was distant.

"I do."

-- -- -- --

Quatre and Dorothy stopped short when they saw their parents, as well as Heero's, standing in front of them. Their backs were to the two youths. They hurried to their respective parents' sides, and tried to tell them what they knew. They were hushed.

"Look! Sir Zechs is coming!" Queen Lillian said, gracefully pointing out to the approaching horses.

A moment later, the horses stopped in front of the welcome party. Sir Zechs swung down from his horse and bowed low to the two sets of Kings and Queens, and also to the Lord and Lady of Kent. King Garret moved forward from the line of royals.

"Welcome to Sussex, Sir Zechs Marquise! You are most welcome here!" He said, opening his arms in a welcoming gesture. Sir Zechs drew himself up.

"I thank thee, King Garret." He said, bowing again. He moved to Queen Lillian and kissed her hand.

"Sir Zechs, we would be honored if you stayed here with us. And tonight, we shall have a great feast in our honor." King Garret said. Sir Zechs nodded, and followed the royals into the castle, boasting about his travels across England.

Quatre tugged on his mother's sleeve. "Mother." He whispered. She pulled away, intent on listening to Sir Zechs tales. Quatre nearly scoffed at the man for having such control over the females. So he moved to his father. "Father." He waved Quatre away.

"Hush, Quatre!" He said, and moved away to get closer to Sir Zechs. Quatre stopped walked and crossed his arms over his chest. He saw that Dorothy was having an equally as difficult time getting her parents' attention. Quatre shifted his eyes, and they landed on Sir Zechs. He turned his head to smile at Queen Lillian. Quatre narrowed his eyes. There was something familiar about his face, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

_There's more important things to be taken care of right now,_ he reminded himself. While Dorothy was still busy trying to get her parents' attention, Quatre slipped away from the royal party and disappeared down a corridor. He needed to get back to the dungeons and find Relena. He had to warn her not to eat any food that was given to her. Especially if it was from that red-headed soldier.

With a lot of luck, Quatre found his way back to the kitchen. When he was reaching the door, he heard footsteps echoing off the stone walls. It sounded like someone was running. He waited, and smiled when he saw who rounded the corner.

"Heero! How did you get out of your room?" Quatre asked. Heero looked relived to see Quatre.

"The servant who brought my food was careless and forgot to lock the door. Is something going on?" He asked. Quatre nodded.

"Sir Zech Marquise has just arrived." Quatre informed him. Heero's eyes widened slightly.

"Sir Zechs?" Heero had always wanted to meet the man, to hear his tales of adventure and toil throughout England. _Relena first._ He told himself. "Do you know where Relena is?" Quatre nodded again.

"She's locked in the dungeons. Dorothy's done something horrible to her, and she's convinced a soldier to kill Relena, but make it look accidental." Quatre said.

"Something horrible?" Heero questioned. Quatre shook his head. He motioned for Heero to follow him.

-- -- -- --

Hey there. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm hoping to finish this soon. Thanks to all the reviewers I've had. You guys are great! Keep 'em coming! I love to hear what you think!

-Blue September Rain


	12. Chapter 11: A Useful Bit of Information

**Dancing in the Rain**

**Chapter 11: A Useful Bit of Information**

Hildi ran through the crowded streets, dodged shoppers and gossipers. The whole city was buzzing with excitement over the arrival of Sir Zechs. She rolled her eyes. A few minutes later, she arrived at her destination. The large home rose above the street. It was made of brick, and had glass windows. Hildi's eyes widened. No wonder her father was impressed by the Maxwell residence.

The front door was wide open. There was a sign hanging above the door. It was carved and painted to show that this was a jeweler's shop. It had a necklace entwined with rings and bracelets. Hildi took a moment to brush the dust off her dress, then stepped into the shop.

A pleasant faced woman stood behind the counter. She looked up when she heard Hildi enter the shop. She smiled. "Welcome to the Maxwell Jewelers. Can I help you?" She asked. Hildi crossed the room, her eyes unable to keep from looking at all the beautiful items on display. Finally she shook her head and looked at the woman.

"My name is Hildi Shebecker. I'm courting Duo." She said, holding her hands in front of her. The woman's face lit up.

"Ah! Hildi! I've heard much about you!" she said, moving around the counter and taking Hildi's hands in her own. "Welcome! It's such a pleasure to meet you!" Hildi now no longer wondered where Duo got his energy from. "Are you here to see Duo?" She asked. Hildi nodded. She smiled. "I'll go get him for you. If you could watch the shop for a moment?" She asked, motioning to the room.

"Of course." Hildi said with a smile. The woman went through a door. Hildi wandered around the shop, looking at all the trinkets. They were very beautiful. She wouldn't be surprised if the Queen herself bought her jewelry from this shop. As she was admiring a necklace with sapphires, two hands came to rest on her waist.

"See anything you like?" A voice asked. Hildi turned and saw Duo standing behind her.

"This is all so beautiful! Who makes them?" Hildi asked.

"My mother and father." He replied. "Is there anything you like?" Duo asked again. His face was serious about this question. Hildi blushed.

"Well I … they're all very pretty…" She said. Duo lifted an eyebrow.

"Will I have to pick one for you?" he asked. Hildi's already pink cheeks went another shade darker.

"I don't have the money to…" Duo cut her off with the wave of his hand. He picked up the necklace Hildi had been looking at and tied it around her neck.

"A perfect match." His mother said, standing beside her son. Hildi looked up into the violet eyes of Duo's mother. She was smiling, and her eyes were shining.

"Thank you so much." Hildi managed to say. Duo hugged her, and placed a secret kiss on her neck. He pulled away and took her hand. He led her to a mirror. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, and she gingerly touched the sapphires hanging around her neck. She'd never owned something so beautiful before. As she looked in the mirror, her cousin's face flashed before her eyes, replacing her own reflection for a moment. She whirled around to face Duo. He looked surprised at her sudden movement.

"I have to talk to you!"

-- -- -- --

Quatre and Heero were nearly trampled to death by the workers in the kitchen. They were moving around frantically, apparently readying for the feast that was to be held that night in honor of Sir Zechs. Quatre craned his neck, trying to find the head cook. He finally spotted her, and made his way through the workers to stand by her side.

"Hello, little Lord." She said, hardly looking at him. "I can't help you right now. I'm very busy."

"I just need to get to the dungeons again." Quatre pleaded. She shook her head.

"A soldier came in not a few minutes ago and locked it. We're not allowed down there." She said. She stopped working for a moment to look at him, a hint of true sympathy in her eyes. "I'm sorry." She said, then turned back to her work. Quatre looked at her forelornly, then turned away. He rejoined Heero near the main door to the kitchen. Heero took in the expression on his face.

"What's wrong?" He asked. Quatre looked up at him to meet his eyes.

"She said that a soldier came and locked the door to the dungeons. The only other way is the main entrance, and there's no way the guards would let us by." Quatre said.

"Hey! You two! You're in the way!" A tall servant said, carrying a large platter over his head. Heero and Quatre apologized and quickly ducked out of the kitchen.

The two friends walked side by side down the corridor. Neither spoke. They soon reached the door leading to the garden. Quatre led the way outside. It was a clear day, without a cloud in the sky. There was a slight breeze in the air, and it felt good to be out of the stuffy halls of the castle.

"What do we do now?" Heero asked, flinging himself onto a bench. Quatre sat down beside him and shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know. My parents are useless, and I'm sure yours are as well. We won't even talk about Dorothy's." Quatre mused. Heero nodded in agreement.

"Though, my father is trying to help, but women can be so stubborn. I don't think my mother wants to let me out of the arrangement." Heero said.

They fell into silence again. An unusual rustling caught their attention, and they turned their heads in the direction of the noise.

"Ouch! No, move that branch!"

"It's caught in my hair!"

"What? Here, let me."

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Let go!"

"I've almost got it loose!" Quatre and Heero looked at each other, then stood and walked over to the wall of the garden and looked. There, standing in the tree they had first see Relena in, were her friends, Hildi and Duo.

"What are you doing up there?" Quatre called. They stopped moving and looked down, fear written on their faces. When they saw it was Quatre, they relaxed.

"We came to talk to you!" Hildi called down. She grabbed a branch and swung herself down to the ground. Duo followed after her.

"Good to see you again." Quatre said, kissing Hildi's hand. Heero nodded in greeting.

"Thank you." Hildi said. "Listen, I'm sure you know that Sir Zechs is here." Quatre and Heero nodded. "Well, I'm fairly certain that he is Relena's brother." She said. The two royals looked surprised.

"Her brother? But how?" Heero asked.

"Everyone assumed he had died, because no one ever saw him after the raids. But if you look at him, he bares a very noticeable resemblance to Relena." Hildi told them. Their eyes were wide. They turned to look at each other.

"If we can get to him, then we can save Relena!" Quatre said. Heero nodded.

"Thank you so much for your help. If there's anything you ever need, please don't hesitate to ask." Heero said, bowing low to Hildi and Duo. They both looked surprised.

"Y-You're welcome." Hildi stammered.

"I don't mean to be rude, but you should get back over that wall. We can't risk you two getting captured as well." Quatre said, glancing to the doors that led out to the garden. Hildi nodded.

"Please let us know if you find out anything." She said. Quatre nodded. With that, Duo helped Hildi back into the tree, then he pulled himself up after her.

"Farewell!" Quatre called. They said goodbye as well, then were gone. Quatre opened his mouth to say something to Heero, but the tall prince was already stalking across the grass toward the door. "Hey wait!"

-- -- -- --

I don't really have anything to say for this one. I just hope you're all still enjoying it still!

-Blue September Rain-


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